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Some Stay, Some Go

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The trip to Funasia was interesting to say the least. The theater is hidden behind a couple buildings in a nondescript place. The location in Richardson is right outside of Dallas. After talking to some Indian friends in the area I found out it is a well-known theater that even the older generations enjoyed. When I bought my ticket, the employee was extremely formal, efficient and robotic. The ticket was $10 and thankfully they took credit cards. Upon entering the theater, I was happy to find a decent selection of assorted candies and soft drinks, as most stereotypical cinemas have a more basic selection. What surprised me at the counter was the “Cash Only” sign that made the candy and soft drinks out of reach. Although Professor Ball-Phillips warned the class prior to the field trip, I completely forgot. Once inside the screening room I was met with an onslaught of advertisements of other upcoming Indian and Hindu movies preparing me for what I was about to experience. After the advertisements of different storylines, going from romance comedy, to a typical Bollywood dancing film, the film that I was there to see, “For Here or to Go?” began.

The story of For Here or to Go, begins with a young suave Indian man working at a small technology firm, driving his BMW around Silicon Valley and enjoying life in the United States and all it has to offer. The main character Vivek lives with a couple Indian friends Lakashmi and Awit. They each have their own differences and paths in the United States. Vivek does not want to get a green card just yet and is continuing to live in the United States on an HB-1 temporary work visa that is tied to his job. Lakashmi, Viveks friend is going for an American green card because he wants to make the United States his new home and has a high paid job at a technology firm. The final friend is Awit. Awit just recently came from South India and is new to the United States’s customs, culture, and way of life.

The storyline changes when Vivek is unable to get a new job because the new employers noticed his work visa is set to expire in less than one year. This process is made even more difficult because many technology firms do not want to sponsor a work visa due to the cost and length of time associated dealing with the government. On top of all of this the whole process is based on a lottery system. As a lottery, even if a company spends the money to hire a lawyer and go through the process, it is still a gamble, especially because the work visa may not be granted.

Overall the trip to Funasia gave me an interesting and different perspective on Indian culture but one random scene that was out of place and attempted to fit in was the inclusion of the Bollywood dancing. Another major flaw in the film was that the acting was unrealistic. For example, the FBI agents and the “watch list” that Vivek was put on was a spook scare tactic that over exaggerates the process. Some of the acting was so amateur I thought it was a joke.

 

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